Unveiling tertiary level students’ confidence in English oral comprehension: insights from a CEFR-informed course

• Main Authors: Abu Sufi, Mohd. Khairul, Abdul Razak, Azura
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: CELPAD Research Unit 2023
• Subjects: L Education (General); LB2300 Higher Education
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/111026/3/111026_Unveiling%20tertiary%20level%20students%E2%80%99%20confidence%20in%20English.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/111026/; https://centre.iium.edu.my/celpad/

This study investigates the self-assessment of speaking and listening skills among Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) students. The aim of the research is to explore how students perceive their own language proficiency and identify potential areas of improvement. The study specifically focuses on the students’ perceived confidence in communication and the extent to which they believe their fluency in the target language has improved. A simple 6 question questionnaire was employed to collect data from a diverse sample of students studying English in a university’s pre-sessional programme. Self- assessment questionnaires were administered to gauge the students’ perceptions of their oral comprehension skills. The findings of this study revealed that students reported confidence in their oral comprehension abilities in the target language. This suggests that the instructional strategies employed in the CEFR curriculum have effectively boosted students’ self-assurance in their oral comprehension abilities. However, despite the perceived increase in confidence, the students indicated that their overall fluency in the language did not improve significantly. This study serves as a foundation for further research to explore effective instructional strategies that bridge the gap between perceived confidence and actual fluency, ensuring a well-rounded language learning experience for CEFR students.